1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of coolers for cooling hot gas streams wherein cleaning elements are disposed in the circulating stream of cooling agent rather than in the particle laden hot gas stream.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a known type of gas cooler, there is provided a perpendicular bundle of parallel pipes arranged at intervals from one another, the bundle being disposed within a large flow housing. The dust-laden gas stream to be cooled flows within the pipes and cooling air flows through the large flow housing outside of the pipes. On the dust-laden gas side of the pipe there is provided a device for cleaning the cooling surfaces of solid material which adheres thereto. The cleaning device usually consists of steel tapes freely suspended within each pipe, the steel tapes being driven by means of a rotary drive at their points of suspension. When the steel tapes are rotated, they scrape adhering solid material off the inside wall of the pipes.
This type of cleaning device does not have a very long useful life because it is exposed to hot gases which are very corrosive, particularly when they contain a high sulfur dioxide content.
When a known gas cooler of this type is put in place directly on the exhaust gas stack disposed above a metal smelting chamber, the danger exists that steel tapes of the cleaning device are attacked by the exhaust gases, and fall into the smelt. The cooling pipes then accumulate large amounts of solid material so that the heat transfer is substantially reduced.